Islamabad | Pakistan

Heavy rain lashed parts of Islamabad on Monday, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting daily life, while similar downpours were reported from other parts of the country.

Tremors from a 5.3-magnitude earthquake were felt in Peshawar and Islamabad on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) Seismic Network, but there have been no reports of casualties or damage so far. The PMD stated that the earthquake occurred at 6:27pm with a magnitude of 5.3 and a depth of 110 kilometres. The PMD determined that the epicentre was in the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) tracked an earthquake in northeast Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border, 35km south of Eshkashem. USGS data shows that the quake was registered at 6:27pm, albeit with a magnitude of 5.1 and at a depth of 128km. Last week, a strong, 5.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the northern parts of the country, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and several parts of Khyber Pakht­unkhwa. The PMD said in a statement that the epicentre of the earthquake was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. The d...

Flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s leading low-cost carrier, has officially expanded its scheduled operations to Pakistan with the launch of direct flights to Islamabad and Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD - Coinciding with the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Bangladesh, Islamabad yesterday announced to launch “Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Sunday stated that it will continue its “peaceful” Islamabad sit-in, now in its 40th day, a press release from the group said. The Islamabad sit-in began on July 16, with BYC leaders and members demanding the release of its activists. Its chief, Dr Mahrang Baloch and other activists were arrested on March 22 for allegedly attacking Quetta Civil Hospital and inciting violence, a day after police cracked down on their protest. According to the press release, available with Dawn.com, the group, during a press conference in Islamabad, expressed its willingness to continue the ongoing sit-in in the federal capital, stating that “one day these institutions will be forced to listen to our voice”. “This protest is not just a protest of the Baloch people, it is a protest for justice,” the press release read. “This is a fight for human dignity and truth and it is the duty of all of us to support this fight.” The statement read that the demonstrators had two demands: the release of...

A judicial magistrate in Islamabad on Saturday ordered the release of journalist Khalid Jamil, who was arrested by the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a day earlier, noting that “there is no incriminating material” against him. According to a first information report (FIR), seen by Dawn.com, Jamil was accused of “sharing highly intimidating content on social media X on May 7”. It stated that he “knowingly disseminated/propagated, fake, false, misleading and misinterpreted information leading to hatred against the government functionaries, including members of national security”. The FIR said that a review of Jamil’s “broader social media activities reveals a deliberate pattern of conduct involving mocking, ridiculing, and maligning state institutions with the clear intent to instigate public discontent”. A case was registered at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre on Aug 8 under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (Peca) (offenses against dignity of natural person...

Islamabad - Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Housing and Works, has launched a plantation drive titled “Aik Beti Aik Shajar” in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCCEC) at its housing project located on Kurri Road, Islamabad.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for a three-day official visit aimed at reinforcing strategic, diplomatic, and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China.

KARACHI: Following heavy rainfall and stormy weather, a private flight from Islamabad to Karachi flight got diverted amid stormy weather, due to disruption in PIA operations, ARY News reported. On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, a private airline flight from Islamabad to Karachi faced severe stormy weather, causing the pilot to abort landing in Karachi and […]

Chinese Foreign Minister and Politburo member Wang Yi will arrive in Islamabad on Thursday to co-chair the 6th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue.

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Seismic Network of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a statement. According to the statement, the quake was felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, KP’s Peshawar, Swat, Chitral, and Abbottabad. The PMD’s press release said that the earthquake originated at 10:20am PKT. Its epicentre was the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, at a depth of 190 kilometres. Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported that the earthquake was also felt in the province’s divisions of Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore, Multan, Sahiwal and Sargodha. No casualties have been reported so far, and according to KP’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi, an emergency has not yet been declared. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines mean...

Authorities have decided to launch a crackdown on illegally residing foreigners in Islamabad and four adjoining districts to declare them “safe zones.

An Islamabad research institute is set to host Afghan leaders and women activists this week to discuss the regional peace and stability, organisers said on Monday. Pakistan and Afghanistan have witnessed an improvement in bilateral relations after taking steps to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee and upgrading diplomatic ranks. The South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (Sassi) University will organise the dialogue on August 25 and 26, according to Dr Maria Sultan, the think tank’s chairperson and director general. While both neighbouring countries have held bilateral engagements at the government level, this will be the first such Pak-Afghan dialogue since the 2021 Taliban takeover of Kabul. Some Afghan TV channels and media run by Afghan journalists in exile contended that Pakistan has invited anti-Taliban leaders. However, the Sassi University chairperson denied that the dialogue was against the Taliban or other Afghan political parties. Sultan said, “The main purpose...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated a special economic zone (SEZ) in Islamabad to be set up by a Chinese textile group — projected to generate exports worth $400 million for the country, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China, which has supported it through many investments and development projects, such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which, currently in its second phase, has been termed a “lifeline” for the country’s economy. The phase II of the program is expected to focus on industrialisation, spe­c­ial economic zones, clean ene­rgy, agriculture and livelihood projects. PM Shehbaz welcomed the establishment of an SEZ, saying that the “initiative would facilitate technology transfer, skill development, and sustainable industrial growth”. The project will be set up by the Chinese textile group Challenge Fashion Private Limited, which is set to invest $100m over five years in the project. PM Shehbaz met with the compa...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday visited the under-construction Technology Park in Islamabad and expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work on the project.

A special ceremony has commenced in Islamabad to mark Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day, attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Field Marshal Asim Munir as chief guests.

ISLAMABAD: Various religious groups joined hands on Monday to protest against the demolition of a mosque in the capital. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) along with other groups held a protest at the site of the demolished Madni mosque near Rawal Dam Chowk. The protesters also uprooted the saplings planted by the CDA on the place. The mosque had been demolished late Saturday night. The JUI-F Member of National Assembly, Naeema Kishwar, also submitted a resolution condemning the demolition of Madni mosque. Addressing the protesters, JUI-F Islamabad chapter Emir Mufti Owais Aziz announced that legal proceedings would be initiated against the demolition of the mosque. He said the government was planning to raze 50 mosques in Islamabad and vowed to resist the move. He said the religious groups have unanimously agreed to get an FIR registered against Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials under blasphemy laws. “If the police refuse to register the case, we will consider them enemies of Islam,” Muf...

Islamabad welcomes water treaty ruling

ISLAMABAD - The AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a leading enabler of global trade, logistics, and industry, officially launched its first representative office in Islamabad on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the Group’s international growth journey and its long-term commitment to enabling trade and logistics across.

ISLAMABAD: A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and adjoining areas Sunday midnight as confirmed by the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC). Rarthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and their surrounding regions, including Mardan, Murree, Haripur, Chakwal, Talagang, and Kallar Kahar. The NSMC reported the earthquake’s magnitude at 5.1, with a […]